AND SHE PONDERED: Encountering God in Everyday Life
Joy, Hope, Strength, and Ponderings!
No matter what, we can wake up and remind ourselves of our potential and of the holy strength and love that holds us up.
When we have been centered and awakened to the beauty and joy around us, then we can also wake up and work through the places where we might have lost ourselves and who we truly are.
I’m still a bit groggy myself. I welcome you to pray with me:
What do you think your potential is? Do you think it matches what your Creator sees as your potential? One of the reasons that I love the Olympics is seeing people realize they have greater potential than they thought. One of the issues I have with the Olympics is the stress it can put on individual athletes.
What does it take to reach our potential?
One thing is certain and is now being verified and taught in courses such as “The Science of Well-Being” by Yale professor, Dr. Laurie Santos, is that we have to take care of ourselves and be there for each other.
We need sleep and exercise. We need to savor life and be thankful. We need to be kind and connected to others. We need to use our strengths. We need to meditate/pray/ listen.
I am so thankful that Simone Biles listened and recognized that she needed to step away for a bit to reclaim herself. I hope people will follow her example and know that is healthy and offers healing. Remember that Jesus did the same when people were clamoring for him to do more.
For some of us, living into our potential also means that we need to let go of the idea that humility means playing small, putting ourselves down. It doesn’t. Humility means letting go of self-obsession and worry, so that there is room in us for the Spirit to dwell and to care for others.
I confess that I haven’t had enough sleep while trying to watch the Olympics and keep up with life. I still offer my prayer to invite you to offer your own:
And for World Peace!
I love the Olympics and the possibilities that they hold. I pray for their safety, joy, goodwill, encouragement, and inspiration!
Ryan is with me and his patience is running out with this sitting still, so here is our prayer:
What do you love to do?
How can you use that love to care for others, to offer encouragement, to build up?
Sometimes I can beat myself up thinking that I mess up everything, that I can’t do anything well. But is that what really matters? Getting a gold star, blue ribbon, A+ on everything? Look at the character of Lucy in the “I Love Lucy” tv show. Everything around her becomes a mess, and … that is her charm. She brings humor and self-acceptance into our lives.
So if that is my gift, I lay it before you. I invite you to join with me in prayer just as you are, with me, just as I am.
Prayer Starters 7/26/21-8/1/21:
M: To use your gifts to help others;
T: For safety and goodwill at the Olympics;
W: To live in your full potential;
TH: To be aware of God Moments;
F: To respect the personhood of people of all ages;
SA: To be grounded by your faith;
SU: To enjoy each moment.
What is your perfect prayer? How do you pray for yourself or for others?
Paul prays for the Ephesian Church (Ephesians 3:14f) a prayer that some say they consider the perfect prayer.
That prayer is my starting place for worshiping with Communion from home this morning. Please join me:
How do you handle those little, under-the-surface fears? The ones about your health, your abilities, your future, your family, your finances, your broken down car, etc.? Do you know what I am talking about?
My prayer this morning is to keep affirming your faith in a Loving Holy Spirit who comforts, helps, advocates on our behalf.
Let’s pray about this!
Sometimes I can get caught up in things that feel important, upset me, drive me nuts, etc. Then I catch a glimpse of what is truly important.
That happened this morning. I wasted over an hour with the phone company. Then, I realized I was way behind schedule and opened my planner and up popped, “TO KNOW THE DEPTH OF GOD/HOLY LOVE”.
Suddenly, the rest didn’t seem that important after all.
Prayers to give yourself grace. The Divinity already has.
Celebrate all that is good today!
After a nearly six hour hearing, I didn’t think to post this prayer from yesterday. Thank you for joining me and being who you are!
AND SHE PONDERED: Encountering God in Everyday Life